Kim Myhr announces new solo album "Bloom". Out October 7th.
In March 2014, guitarist Kim Myhr released the critically acclaimed solo record «All Your Limbs Singing» (SOFA); an orchestral exploration of the 12-string guitar sounding like something in between American folk strumming and 60s avant-garde soundmass orchestral music. On the new solo album «Bloom» he takes his music in a new and more electronic direction.
In recent years, Kim Myhr has been one of the leading voices on the experimental scene in Norway as both a composer and a guitarist. «In The End His Voice Will Be The Sound Of Paper» - the collaborative album Kim Myhr released together with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Jenny Hval earlier this year, was described by the Quietus as «an arresting piece of work», and by Slug Magazine as «a grotesquely beautiful paradox of sound, pleasing to the last».
On the surface the «Bloom» is quite different from its predecessor: there´s lots of overdubs, electric guitars, electronics and some acoustic guitars too. Generosity is maybe a keyword; both in the album's sound, the composition process, as well as in the sources of inspiration:
"I was listening a lot to Ram Narayan and Milton Nascimento, as well as psych-folk stuff in the period coming up to the recording. I think I wanted to make music with a certain warmth to it.», Kim Myhr said in a recent interview. "My previous solo album was recorded during a two day-session, with few edits being done afterwords. The music was created during several years of concerts and touring.»
«Bloom» on the other hand is a proper studio album: "I first recorded sketches for two weeks. I had a break, and then picked the project up again and worked for six consecutive weeks until I was pleased. It was a very intense and focused composition process. My acoustic 12-string guitar music is often physically demanding to play, and I wanted to work with sound in a different way. So on «Bloom» the richness of texture comes from the recording process, and treatments of various electronic and acoustic sounds. It´s a studio construction, but it's still a natural continuation of the music, I think.»
Myhr is an active composer, and writes for chamber ensembles, electroacoustic settings and various theatrical projects. He is also a member of the MURAL (Ingar Zach, Jim Denley) and Circadia (David Stackenäs, Joe Williamson, Tony Buck). Kim has done collaborations with Sidsel Endresen, Sebastian Roux, Lasse Marhaug to mention just a few.
«Bloom» is an adventurous and generous sounding new landmark recording from Kim Myhr. The album is being released as a CD, DL and a LP and printed inner sleeve.